Political leaders and commentators around the world are reacting to news that Scotland has voted no to leaving Britain - as attention turns to other separatist movements fighting for independence.

While much of the international coverage of the referendum result has been positive, with everyone from Chinese media to German ministers cheering the no vote, other countries were less supportive.

Among those criticizing the way the independence referendum was handled are a number of pro-Kremlin figures who have desperately sought to draw parallels with the much-criticized Crimean referendum in March, which came after Russia forcibly annexed the peninsula from Ukraine.

With Scots rejecting the opportunity to form an independent nation, attention has now turned to other separatist movements around the world - with nervous Spaniards among those concerned that the referendum will lead to calls for similar votes in regions fighting for self-government in their country.

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Stateside: St. Andrew's Bar in New York City was filled to capacity last night as anxious Scots from all over Manhattan awaited the final results of the referendum

Scottish ex-pats from both the 'yes' and no' camps gathered in St Andrew's bar to watch the results

Mikhail Emelyanov, a Russian MP in the country's lower house of parliament, was among those attacking the way the independence referendum had been run.

Speaking to the media today, he described the much-criticized referendum held in Crimea in March as having been 'fairer' than the one held in Scotland and hinted he thought underhand tactics may have been deployed by 'no' campaigners.

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'In terms of legitimacy and the conditions in which they were carried out, the Crimea referendum was conducted in a much fairer way than the Scottish one,' he said.

'At least there were no power cuts, there was no fire alarm or halts in the counting of votes and so on,' he added - apparently referring to a brief power outage in Dundee, ironically one of only four Scottish regions where more people voted 'yes' to independence than 'no'.

Many pro-Kremlin commentators had been passionately campaigning for a 'yes' vote - ostensibly in the hope that it may have sparked a wave of referendums in former-Soviet republics that could lead to the countries demanding closer ties with Moscow.

Disappointed: Konstantin Rykov, a former politician who supports Russian president Vladimir Putin, tweeted the words 'Oh, Scots, Scots. Well, not to worry. In 300 years or so you can try again'

Difference: Following the 'no' result, Alex Salmond (right) dramatically quit as Scotland's First Minister. David Cameron welcomed the outcome - but said now is the time to listen to the voices of England

Many of these people expressed disappointment when the vote came in - among them Konstantin Rykov, a former politician who passionately supports Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Having proudly displayed a 'Yes' ribbon to his Twitter profile in recent weeks, Mr Rykov had removed it by the time he tweeted an image of Mel Gibson in his Braveheart outfit along with the words 'Oh, Scots, Scots. Well, not to worry. In 300 years or so you can try again.'

All over: A pro-union supporter in Glasgow bursts into tears of relief as fellow No campaigners cheer welcoming the results as Scotland rejects separation

Another country less than positive about the referendum result was Italy, where leading daily newspaper La Repubblica said British spirit had been 'wounded' despite the outcome.

The newspaper also suggested that Europe may appreciate the value Britain more than Britons themselves, saying: 'If Scotland no longer had a need for Great Britain, at least according to many voters, Europe needs Great Britain.'

France's education minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem struck a similar tone when she described the result made her happy, adding: 'We never like to see European nations break up... The opposite result would have been a negative signal.'

That sentiment was echoed by governing Socialist Party's secretary for Europe Philip Cordery and centrist MP of the UDI party Bertrand Plancher - both of whom called the no vote a 'relief'.

The Scottish 'yes' campaign had picked up strong support among French citizens however, who remain sentimental about a medieval anti-English alliance between the two countries.

European support: France's education minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem (left) said the referendum result made her happy, adding: 'We never like to see European nations break up.' Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt (right) said 'The United Kingdom stays united. So must Europe'

Decisions: Carl Bildt appeared to use the result to send a signal to Britain to think twice before holding a proposed future referendum of whether or not to leave the EU

Earlier this week it was reported that there had been 'worry' and 'mystification' over the referendum in Eastern Asia. Taiwanese animation studio TomoNews responded by creating a bizarre 'explainer' video

German media reacted to the Scottish result positively, with popular tabloid Bild headlining its report 'Britain stays Great'.

'The British can rejoice, the Kingdom remains intact. Their partners in Brussels and Washington can breathe, Great Britain can continue to fulfill its international responsibilities,' weekly news magazine Der Spiegel added.

Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt, meanwhile, appeared to use the result to send a signal to Britain to think twice before holding a proposed future referendum of whether or not to leave the EU.

'The United Kingdom stays united. So must Europe,' he said without elaborating on his comment.

Another thinly veiled pro-European comments came from Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, who said: The European Commission welcomes the fact that during the debate over the past years, the Scottish government and the Scottish people have repeatedly reaffirmed their European commitment.'

The Taiwanese animation shows David Cameron, carrying deputy prime minister Nick Clegg on his front, standing alongside Better Together leader Alistair Darling to encourage voters to back the No campaign

Better together? Mel Gibson as William Wallace (right), Rab C.Nesbitt (centre) and Groundskeeper Willie (left) all appear in the bizarre Taiwanese animation standing in front of a unicorn

Meanwhile NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: 'I fully respect the choice that the people of Scotland have made in yesterday's referendum. I welcome Prime Minister Cameron's statement that the United Kingdom will go forward as a united country.'

'The United Kingdom is a founding member of NATO, and I am confident that the United Kingdom will continue to play a leading role to keep our Alliance strong,' he added.

The independence referendum result also became a hot topic in China, where one social media user said: 'The UK shows the world its political civilization and shows other regimes, which only show their muscle and use force, how there are alternatives to handling disputes,' according to the Telegraph.

The official Chinese state line was more muted however.

While some politicians welcome the idea of a limited Britain, they remain key not to send out too many positive signals about independence movements as a whole so as not to further encourage those who have been fighting for the independence of the region of Tibet since the 1950s.

Earlier this week it was reported that there had been 'worry' and 'mystification' in Eastern Asia, promoting Taiwanese animation studio TomoNews to produce a bizarre 'explainer' video packed with stereotypes about Scotland - and even a cameo from Simpson's charactor Groundskeeper Willie.

Another nation unsurprisingly keen to speak up for the concept of unity is Spain, which has long battled against independence movements in a number of regions including Catalonia (pictured)

MPs in the state of Catalonia are today voting on whether to hold their own independence referendum in a move fiercely opposed by the country's central government in Madrid. Pictured are pro-independence supporters

Another nation unsurprisingly keen to speak up for the concept of unity is Spain, which has long battled against independence movements in a number of regions.

In fact MPs in the state of Catalonia are today voting on whether to hold their own independence referendum in a move fiercely opposed by the country's central government in Madrid.

In a video statement that avoided any mention of Catalonia, Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy today expressed his content with the outcome in Scotland and attacked the Scottish independence movement.

'With their decision, Scots have avoided the large economic, social, institutional and political consequences that separation would have brought,' he said.

'Yesterday they chose between segregation and integration. Between isolation and being open. Between stability and uncertainty. And they chose the best option for everyone – for themselves and for Europe.'